Dental and Oral Health (Seniors)

Jaw and upper mouth pain

10/19/2000

Question:

an old disease called (p)neurlasha (spelling?). What is it, what is the cause, what can be done and what about alternative medicine e.g.; acupressure, accupuncture, herbs, reflexology? Stress seems to be a trigger. It seems to be a nerve in the jaw hinge (jaw pain and upper mouth pain).

Answer:

I believe that you are referring to a disease called "Neuralgia". This condition is defined as pain in the distibution of one or more nerves. Trigeminal Neuralgia is a conditon that affects the 5th cranial nerve and produces a sharp superficial pain likened to an electric shock. It can last seconds to minutes with pain free intervals. Causes are called precipitating factors which include touching or stroking of areas know as Triggering Point areas. Possible treatments include; anticonvulsant drug therapy, nerve sectioning, or surgical decompression.

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